The Great Controversy - Righteousness is Love

96save the sinner. The grace of Christ cannot be purchased; it is a free gift. Hecounseled the people not to buy indulgences, but to look in faith to acrucified Redeemer. He related his own painful experience in vainlyseeking by humiliation and penance to secure salvation, and assured hishearers that it was by looking away from himself and believing in Christthat he found peace and joy.As Tetzel continued his traffic and his impious pretensions, Lutherdetermined upon a more effectual protest against these crying abuses. Anoccasion soon offered. The castle church of Wittenberg possessed manyrelics, which on certain holy days were exhibited to the people, and fullremission of sins was granted to all who then visited the church and madeconfession. Accordingly on these days the people in great numbers resortedthither. One of the most important of these occasions, the festival of AllSaints, was approaching. On the preceding day, Luther, joining the crowdsthat were already making their way to the church, posted on its door a papercontaining ninety-five propositions against the doctrine of indulgences. Hedeclared his willingness se theses next day at the university, against all whoshould see fit to attack them.His propositions attracted universal attention. They were read and reread,and repeated in every direction. Great excitement was created in theuniversity and in the whole city. By these theses it was shown that thepower to grant the pardon of sin, and to remit its penalty, had never beencommitted to the pope or to any other man. The whole scheme was a farce,–an artifice to extort money by playing upon the superstitions of the people,–a device of Satan to destroy the souls of all who should trust to its lyingpretensions. It was also clearly shown that the gospel of Christ is the mostvaluable treasure of the church, and that the grace of God, therein revealed,is freely bestowed upon all who seek it by repentance and faith.Luther's theses challenged discussion; but no one dared accept thechallenge. The questions which he proposed had in a few days spreadthrough all Germany, and in a few weeks they had sounded throughoutChristendom. Many devoted Romanists, who had seen and lamented theterrible iniquity prevailing in the church, but had not known how to arrestits progress, read the propositions with great joy, recognizing in them thevoice of God. They felt that the Lord had graciously set His hand to arrestthe rapidly swelling tide of corruption that was issuing from the see ofRome. Princes and magistrates secretly rejoiced that a check was to be putupon the arrogant power which denied the right of appeal from its decisions.